1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to displays, such as advertising displays, that employ lighting patterns for purposes of attracting attention of potential consumers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Point-of-purchase displays employ a variety of visual stimuli to attract the attention of potential purchasers. Illumination is recognized widely as an effective stimulus for attracting the attention of a potential customer. As a result, illumination has been used extensively in point-of-purchase displays.
Most illuminated point-of-purchase displays are large and costly. The hardware for achieving the illumination generally must be plugged into an alternating current source, and hence requires an unattractive and bulky wire to be draped from the display to an electrical outlet. Most prior art illuminated displays also generate significant heat. Thus, the illumination must be a considerable distance from the products being sold to avoid damaging the products and to avoid burning consumers.
Fiberoptics have been used in some prior art point-of-purchase displays. The typical prior art fiberoptic point-of-purchase display has include a single light source disposed at a location remote from the display. A plurality of optical fibers have had their light-receiving ends mounted in proximity to the light source. The optical fibers then extended from the light source to the prior art point-of-purchase display, and the emitting ends of the optical fibers were mounted into small holes in the point-of-purchase display. Displays that employ fiberoptics allow for a fine level of detailing and bright coloring. However, these prior art fiberoptic displays are not conducive to complex programming for altering the displays. Furthermore, the typical prior art display that employs fiberoptic components has required connection to an AC source of power for powering the display. This requirement for connection to an AC power source has limited the versatility of these displays.
Some such prior art displays have included a translucent color wheel rotatably mounted between the light source and the receiving ends of optical fibers. The wheel would cause different colors to pass between the light source and the optical fibers, thereby causing the illumination emitted from the opposed end of the optical fibers to change color. Other fiberoptic optical displays have rotated an opaque material between the light source and the receiving ends of the fiber. The opaque material would periodically interrupt the passage of light from the light source to the optical fibers. As a result, the light emitted from the ends of the optical fibers mounted in the display would blink. Some prior art displays mounted the receiving ends of the optical fibers in spaced relationship to one another. The opaque material then would move sequentially past the receiving ends. Consequently the emitting ends of the optical fibers would alternately blink. The programming options for the alternating blinking has been very limited and typically subjected to a short cycle of repetition.
Prior art displays with optical fibers have been visually attractive. However, these prior art displays have been fairly large and costly due to the separation between the light source and the display and due to the cumbersome prior art mechanisms for creating a variable illuminated display.
Light emitting diodes (LED's) are used in certain programmable displays. However, LED's do not provide the same level of detail as fiberoptics. Additionally, LED's typically are not as bright or colorful as fiberoptics.